Ranking the NFL Starting Quarterbacks
#24 Daniel Jones (New York Giants)
This is going to sound strange, but stay with me: Daniel Jones has had some of the best performances by a quarterback in NFL history.
I know, I know. Jones is not the first quarterback that comes to mind when you hear the words “best” and “NFL history.” But it’s true.
The most recent moment happened in his playoff debut in 2022. On the road against the Vikings, Jones became the first quarterback ever to throw for 300+ yards, 2+ TDs, and rush for 70+ yards in a playoff game. If you remember, he was lights out from start to finish that afternoon:
His rookie season saw some record-setting performances as well. Jones became the first rookie ever to throw for 350 yards, 5 touchdowns, and no interceptions in a game. He also tied a record for most games in a rookie season with 4+ TD passes.
Clearly, the talent and capability of performing like an elite quarterback are in there somewhere. He just hasn’t had the consistency. In fact, he’s been pretty far from a consistent quarterback. And that’s the name of the game in the NFL.
One reason for that is Jones himself. He does have a tendency to get stuck on receivers, make questionable decisions, and sometimes leave potential big plays on the field by fleeing the pocket too early.
There are several other factors that have contributed to his uneven performance as well. His supporting cast has been among the worst in the NFL for most of his career. If you’ve watched the Giants at all over the last 5 seasons, you understand what I’m talking about. But let’s take a look at some PFF rankings for the sake of it:
Excuse me one second…
Tough to play quarterback in that type of environment.
It certainly didn’t help that Head Coach Pat Shurmur was fired after Jones’ first season, removing any potential continuity heading into year 2 and thwarting his ability to build off of a great rookie season. In total, Jones has had 3 coordinators and offensive systems during the first 5 years of his career.
But maybe year 6 will be different. For one, Jones will be paired with the same offensive coordinator and head coach for the 3rd straight season, which is a first for him.
Second, the offensive line can’t be any worse than it was in 2023. This offseason, New York added 3 linemen who can play on the interior (Jon Runyan, Jermaine Eluemunor, and Aaron Stinnie). This was a critical area of need for the Giants. And Eluemunor actually established himself as a decent right tackle in Las Vegas, so there’s always the option to kick him back out there if Evan Neal continues to struggle.
Most important, though, is the addition of Malik Nabers, the 6th overall pick in this year’s draft. Jones has never had a receiver like Nabers to throw to in his NFL career. Not only will his presence help create more big plays downfield, it should also help open things up at the intermediate level.
Jones is coming back this season from a serious injury (torn ACL), so I certainly have concerns about his ability to perform in general. He likes to lean on his legs, especially behind that offensive line (remember, he rushed for 707 yards in 2022). So if he can’t rely on them quite as much, that will certainly hinder his ability to perform at a high level.
That said, the Giants appear to have a decent group around Jones, at least compared to most of his career. I don’t think you’ll see an earth-shattering type of season from Jones, but maybe we’ll finally get to see a little more of what he’s capable of with an offense that is actually comparable to what many of his peers have had to work with.
Check out the rest of the rankings here:
#32 Bo Nix (Denver Broncos)
#31 Drake Maye (New England Patriots)
#30 J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings)
#29 Gardner Minshew (Las Vegas Raiders)
#28 Will Levis (Tennessee Titans)
#27 Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns)
#26 Anthony Richardson (Indianapolis Colts)
#25 Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers)
#24 Daniel Jones (New York Giants)
#23 Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)
#22 Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears)
#21 Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)
#20 Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers)
#19 Derek Carr (New Orleans Saints)
#18 Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
#17 Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)
#16 Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)
#15 Jared Goff (Detroit Lions)
#14 Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins)
#13 Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons)
#12 Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles)
#11 Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers)
#10 Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers)
#9 Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)
#8 C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans)
#7 Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers)
#6 Aaron Rodgers (New York Jets)
#5 Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)
#4 Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
#3 Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)
#2 Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
#1 Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)